As the Bush administration gears up for war against Iraq, artists and musicians are taking a more prominent role in giving voice to antiwar sentiments throughout the world. There will be a massive anti-war rally tomorrow, January 18th, in Washington, D.C. If the rally of October 26th is any indication, hundreds of thousands of people will come from around the country and the world to say, "Not in Our Name."

War Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over the weekend authorized the deployment of 62,000 more troops to the Gulf Region, and for the first time since the Gulf War, the Marine Corps has barred Marines from leaving the service.

The Bush administration this week backed down from its three-month-old stance that the North Koreans will have to dismantle its nuclear weapons program before Washington will even talk to them. In a joint statement with Japan and South Korea, Washington dropped all pre-conditions, saying it is willing to open talks.

For the first time since the Gulf War, the Pentagon plans to move a full combat division of U.S. forces to within striking distance of Iraq. Overall 50,000 troops are expected to be sent to the region this month to almost double the size of the U.S. presence in the region. The troops are prepared to go to war by mid-February. [includes rush transcript]